Is Syracuse Football’s ACC Preseason Ranking Correct?

Syracuse Football’s ACC Preseason Ranking, according to Die Hard Cuse Football fans, undersold the team and for what? Last year, the team started the season out 3-1 before star quarterback Steve Angeli suffered a torn ACL.

In 2024, the team went 10-3 with great quarterback play and a solid run game, but the defense the last two years has been historically awful.

The only devil’s advocate for their low preseason ranking is Syracuse’s tough conference schedule. They’re also playing all but three teams who are preseason Top 25 or have receiving votes.

What is Syracuse’s ACC Preseason Ranking?

Syracuse starts out the 2026 college football season ranking 14th out of 17 teams in the ACC Preseason Ranking. It could be because the Orange and the rest of the ACC are switching to a nine-game conference schedule.

This means easier non-conference opponents and one harder conference opponent for that portion of the season. But the national pollsters are living in the world of fiction when they should be living in the world of fact.

The facts are that the Orange are entering year three under head coach Fran Brown and are 13-16 over two seasons. Additionally, the Orange had a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, including a huge 34-21 win at Clemson.

But then the Orange’s quarterback, Steve Angeli, went down and missed the rest of the season with a torn ACL. We have already seen what the Orange is capable of when healthy under coach Brown. In addition, the same Orange team is ranked fourth out of 17 in continuity.

They are capable of being a CFP team due to their size and technique on the offensive line, as well as their experience at the skill positions. The fiction here is that the Orange are going to be the fourth-worst team in the conference, even though their head coach beat the polling odds growing up and becoming a head coach.

How can the Orange surpass its Preseason Ranking?

The one advantage the Orange has in playing a nine-game conference schedule is that it offers multiple opportunities to upset quality teams in their conference this year. To start out, the Clemson Tigers rank 23rd in the preseason and look better this year even with a new starting quarterback.

The team also plays No. 20 SMU at home on Halloween, which should be spooktacular if the Orange pull off that upset. They happen to avoid No. 7 Miami this year and instead host No. 5 Notre Dame in the final regular-season contest.

The Orange has to stay healthy in a nine-game conference season, as depth can make you in the conference. Injuries, however, can break you in the season too.

Final Prediction

I believe the Syracuse Orange will perform above its preseason ranking and finish at least in the middle of the pack in the ACC, at No. 8 or 9, and at most No. 5.

This team is very experienced and talented when its starting quarterback is healthy, and its offensive line is built for the grind of a nine-game ACC schedule. Only time will tell, but in the meantime, Let’s go Orange.

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